Toronto sources?

[Brett]

Hi!
Can anyone share information about sources of supply in Toronto, Ontario, Canada?

As a beginner I'm trying to find what is available in the local stores, because the mail-ordering of a small quantities is quite expensive.
Also just curious about wood stabilizing services in Canada (ratio of cost of the stabilization to the shipping cost).

I was looking for a mentioned on CKD forums:

- exotic lumber or other handle materials
- wood finishing: Watko Danish Oil, Boiled Linseed Oil, Pure Carnauba Wax #1, Renaissance Wax, sanding sealers, red, yellow and maple dyes, marine or outdoor varnishes with UV protection
- wood stabilizing: inexpensive vacuum pump, rotten Wood Hardener, penetrating epoxy, methyl methacylate (or Acraglas, Devcon Plastic Steel or anything else usable)
- sneath materials
- diamond needle files, not in sets
- silver, nickel-silver and brass rods, tubes and sheets
- spacers or plastic/metal usable for spacers
- super glue in a big bottles

What I already found on the web (not all yet checked personally):

Leather Supply:

Heritan Leather (Scarborough)
http://www.heritan.com/

Tandy Leather (Mississauga, Edmonton, Winnipeg)
http://www.tandyleather.com/qa.html


Exotic Wood:

Lee Valley
http://www.leevalley.com/
wood, tagua nuts, Corian blanks, finishing, tools

WoodFinder (Search for lumber sources in your area)
http://www.woodfinder.net/


Wood finishing:

Danish Oil:
Lee Valley
in Toronto see stores location
http://www.leevalley.com/home/stores...D=&ccurrency=1
Tried & True Danish Oil, Deftoil Danish Oil, no Watco, 100% Tung Oil, Walnut Oil, waxes are unknown to me: Conservator's Wax, Orange Wax

Boiled Linseed Oil, MinWax Tung Oil, several other Minwax and Varathan products
Canadian Tire


Renaissance Wax:
- Sculpture Supply Canada
Etobicoke, http://www.sculpturesupply.com/
- in Edmonton: http://www.houseoftools.com/


Marine epoxies:
Bondo - Canadian Tire,
other - in marine supply stores:
Noahs Marine Supply http://www.noahsmarine.com/


Epoxy glue:
Devcon 2-Ton Clear, Devcon Plastic Steel
Plastic World
http://www.plasticworld.ca/

Hand Vacuum Pump, CND $80
Canadian Tire, does anybody know cheaper kind?

Thanks!
Brett

[SVanderkolff]

Brett
I am in Kitchener, just down the 401, shoot me an email and I can probably help you with most of the stuff you are looking for. srv@golden.net

Steel - super alloy - mississauga - 905-676-8191
sandpaper - sandpaper.ca - they have 2 X 72 just not listed
vaccuum pump - princess auto
exotic wood - A & M wood in Cambridge
- John Freeman - through Canadian Knifemakers Guild
small quantity knife soecific stuff - downieknives.com

That should get you started, as I said shoot me an email and I will give you my phone number as well.

Have fun
Steve

[Alain M-D]

passed through the same process some time ago. For us in Canada,
it is less expensive to try to find most material here because buying
from the USA are quite expensive (shipping, exchange rate, custom fee, etc)...

You already found the majority of canadian address which I have...

- exotic lumber or other handle materials
I found a lot of exotic wood in a woodworking store in Montreal)
and I bought some pieces of wood (burl) on e-bay...

- wood finishing:
I bought some stuff from lee-Valley and from local store like home depot
(sanding sealer, wax, tung oil, etc.)

- wood stabilizing:
I make few test with rotten Wood Hardener without vaccum (with Minwax
from Home Depot) and I will probably buy a vaccum pump from CanadianTire
(80$) This pump are expensive but I dont find other models in canada...
(the same pump cost 25$ in USA) Lee Valley have a produt called Pentacryl
wood stabiliser, I dont have tryed it yet...

You can buy some stabilized wood (and other knifemaking material like belts
and steel at http://www.downieknives.com/

- sheath materials
I found all my Sheath material at Heritan Leather (Montreal)

- diamond needle files, not in sets
Check at KBC Tools (www.kbctools.com) I buy a lot of stock,
tool and o-1 steel from KBC

- silver, nickel-silver and brass rods, tubes and sheets
I buy brass tubes to make my mosacic pins on a hobby store and I found
brass stock for guard on a local scrap yard/recycling. I bought some 416SS
for guard at downie knives (http://www.downieknives.com) but I
did not find nickel-silver in Canada...

- spacers or plastic/metal usable for spacers
Fiber spacer: http://www.downieknives.com

- super glue in a big bottles
I buy my epoxy and superglue (in big bottles) in a hobby store...

Hoping that help !
If somebody have other good canadian supply source, I would be happy
to know them !

Alain M-D

[Brett]

Thanks, it's the big help!

I already ordered most of the things for my current work, just looking for a sources for a future, without mailing expenses when possible.

Most things I bought on e-bay too, this way you can see what pattern your wood has. But several sellers means several shipments, and this doubles cost. My first things were from Texas Knifemakers Supply, but there are no way to choose pattern.

Do you know where to find the brake shoes rivetts, recommended in the most books on knifemaking?

One more question: what kind of wood sealer/filler is better to use? I tried only the LePage's Exterior Wood Filler, looks like a bread crust, anything better?

One more source - for a Japanese pull saws (for accurate hand sawing of the thick scales): Canadian Tire and Home Depot, of course. A couple of months ago the choice was better.

If I find anything else, I'll post it later.

Thanks again,
Brett

[J. Hartt]

Hey guys.
House of Tools has lots of knife making stuff, they even have a small catalogue dedicated to knife making.
Nickel-silver is available at H.O.T. in bar stock and rod. They have dymondwood up the wazoo, but, no real wood or stabilized wood.
Steel(ats34 and 440c) in sheets or bars too.
Jeff

[Alain M-D]

Originally posted by SVanderkolff
Brett
Steel - super alloy - mississauga - 905-676-8191

Do you have a web site address for super alloy - mississauga ??
do they sell ATS-34 ou 440c ? I would like to know if I can find
other place to buy my steel (other that Jim or House of tool)

Nobody tried to buy directly at Crucible (Toronto, Winsor or Montreal)
The prices are surely better ?

Alain M-D

[SVanderkolff]

As far as I know they do not have a web site, just have to call them up. They do carry 440C and I think ATS 34. If you find somewhere to buy small quantities direct please let us know.
Thanks
Steve

[Brett]

Did anyone try the Canadian Custom Knife Enthusiasts forum, http://pub18.ezboard.com/bcanadianknifeenthusiasts ? Might they have some info?
And links on the Canadian Knifemakers Guild http://www.ckg.org/links.html

Some useful sources I had found on http://www.student.ocad.on.ca/staff/...y/supplier.htm website, or http://www.student.ocad.on.ca/staff/...ly/supinfo.htm

Just a thought.
Brett

[george tichbour]

Instead of brake shoe rivets why not try knifemakers rivets from Lee Valley?

[Brett]

Hmmm, I didn't know Lee Valley has the knifemakers rivets. Thanks for input, George!

[brimstone73]

Hey Brett

I was talking to Jim Downie at the last CKG Show (Oct 2002) and he actually prefers the Conservator's Wax from Lee Valley Tools over Renaissance Wax. The packages are the same size but Lee Valley's is about half the price!! While I haven't used the Renaissance wax the Lee Valley product gives top shelf results.

I have to admit e-bay seems to have been one of my better sources for materials, ranging from composite stone to exotic woods and damascus blade materials. But the more I look the more I seem to find locally.

Thanks

Brian

[Brett]

Thanks, Brian!

If you know in what kind of stores can be found any of the basic knifemaking supplies, could you post info on them here?
We may live in the different areas, but there have to be some logic in the distribution.
I'm, unfortunately, not a Canadian-born and have some difficulties to locate most of the supplies.

Brett

What else I found:
- Japan-made needle file set (one that cut) - Radio Shack
- Nicholson miniature files from Can.Tire (smallest) don't have cuts on the edge.
- Crudest rasps for a wood - Active Surplus at Spadina and art supply (Curry's).
- Accurate working big file - a Laminates file from Home Depot.

[whv]

welcome to ckd, brian!

[SVanderkolff]

Does anyone know a Toronto source for the metal cutting bandsaw similar to the one that horbor freight is selling?
Thanks
Steve

[Alain M-D]

KBC Tools sell a Horizontal Bandsaw at 425$ can
http://www.kbctools.com, store in Mississauga or Winsor)

But you probably can find ont for less on a local metal machinery store
(I find one at 300$ can in a local store...)

Good luck !

Alain M-D